Fresh off her first All-PSAC selection and a very strong junior year, women’s soccer player Brooke Testa has been voted the Rocket’s Athlete of the Month for October.
Testa had no idea she was the Athlete of the Month until being interviewed by the Rocket, expressing pleasant surprise upon being informed. “Oh, so I did win!” she said with a grin on her face.
Testa led all players on the women’s soccer team with 21 points this season on 6 goals and 9 assists leading to a second team All-PSAC selection. Testa played and started in 17 of the possible 18 games this year helping lead The Rock to a 10-6-2 record on the year and a spot in the PSAC playoffs.
“I think we all just helped each other achieve it, you know we couldn’t have done it without everyone else,” Testa said.
Despite a disappointing first round exit in the PSAC playoffs this season, Testa put up a strong performance in the playoffs with the lone Slippery Rock goal against East Stroudsburg University in the attempted upset.
Testa had an encouraging freshman year on the team after recording seven points on three goals and an assist in eight starts while playing 17 total games. Testa was unable to build upon her freshman year in year two due to an array of injuries leading to only 11 games played with eight starts (tallying four points on two goals). Testa really delivered in her third season, leading The Rock in goals, assists, points, shots, and shots on goal.
“The biggest thing for her, she was finally healthy all season long,” coach Jennifer Griggs said (the statement drawing a chuckle from Testa herself), “so, this is her third season here and in her first two seasons, she was out out of play for a good portion… so she was healthy, and I think that helped her with consistency and everything.”
Moving forward, Testa, a biochemistry major, is hoping to put everything she has gained through the first three years on the women’s soccer team together and have the year she knows she is capable of putting together, individually and as a team.
“Team wise, I would like to make it farther in PSAC play. I do think it was a tough loss… our coming out in the first round but I think we could definitely continue it next year,” Testa said. “Same goal as this year, get an All-PSAC team [nomination], just help contribute to the whole team.”
